Brush Tips
by EphemeralDreams
Summary: Eriol comes back right before Tomoyo graduates, but without Kaho! What will Tomoyo think of this, and will Eriol realize something important? ExT, slight SxS. Please RR
1. 01 Return

YAY, finally I got started on a CCS fic. Please R+R, but don't kill me, I'm still new to this.

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura in NO WAY belongs to me. Someone like me could never have the originality to think of something this cute.

Brush Tips: Chapter 1

_Dearest Tomoyo,_

_I've decided to come back to Tomoeda permanently. I've missed the air of Japan, and the solitude here in England has been getting to me recently. Well, if you can call having Nakuru and Spinel as guardians being solitude. So, I made up my mind to return to my mansion in Tomoeda. See you in the beginning of the new term!_

_Love,_

_Eriol Hiiragizawa_

'How long has it been already?' thought Tomoyo Daidouji to herself. It had been 6 years and Tomoyo was close to graduating from Tomoeda High School. This would be the beginning of her senior year.

_"the solitude here in England has been getting to me."_

'I thought Kaho was keeping him company,' wondered Tomoyo as she reread the letter for the fifth time that day. In all their correspondence up until now, Eriol hadn't mentioned his relationship with Kaho once, so Tomoyo had assumed they were doing well. But now she was having second thoughts.

Tomoyo glanced at the mirror on her wall. Her eyes had retained their amethyst color, but lost their glow. She no longer had long, wavy raven hair; it was much shorter now, and not as well kempt. But, overall, she decided Eriol would definitely recognize her. After all, even if her looks had changed and grown, he was the reincarnation of the great Clow Reed.

Clow. Tomoyo's eyes wandered over to her half-open wardrobe, and rested upon the untouched collection of Sakura's costumes from her cardcaptor days. Every now and then, Tomoyo would remember wistfully of back then, how Sakura would become completely red as she would fim her, and how Tomoyo would say, "Kawaii!" in response to Sakura's cute little reaction. Tomoyo sighed. She couldn't remember the last time she had said "Kawaii!", not after Syoaran had come back.

Without Sakura's little card chasing adventures, there wasn't anything exciting left besides lightly tormenting Sakura and Syoaran. Now that Sakura was spending more and more time with Syaoran, Tomoyo didn't have her best friend to talk to and do things with. _"loneliness."_ Was Eriol feeling the same thing?

She reached over for her phone and dialed Sakura's number.

"Hello?" said a bright cheery voice.

"Sakura-chan, it's Tomoyo!"

"Tomoyo!"

"I hope I wasn't interrupting you and Syaoran…"

"TOMOYO!" Tomoyo could imagine Sakura's tomato-red face.

"I'm just kidding Sakura! Guess who's coming to Tomoeda next year?"

"Who?"

"Eriol-kun!"

"Hoe! Why didn't he tell m—"

Suddenly, a deep masculine voice appeared on the other end.

"WHAT? HE IS NOT COMING BACK!"

"Oh, Sakura, so you were with Syaoran…"

"HOE!"

"Are you sure you're ready to leave, E-ri-ol-sa-ma?" asked Nakuru and she pranced into the room, looking over at Eriol Hiiragizawa's hunched figure in the corner. The boy stood up, and stared amiably into his guardian's eyes.

"Yes, I'm ready."

**Wow, that was short. Really short. It looked so much longer in Microsoft Word...**

**But I PROMISE I will update, even though that's what I said with my other fic, and it's still sitting there.**


	2. 01 School: Part 1

Sorry for not updating at all, I was grounded for a month, and my life has just been horrible up till now. Please review though!

A/N:

"" Speech

'' Thought

Brush Tips: Chapter 2 **First Day Back**

"Please welcome a new student to Tomoeda High School this year, Eriol Hiragazawa," announced Hayase-sensei.

All the girls craned their necks to get a better view as a lean, well-built boy came in that exact moment, bowing handsomely in front of them all. His navy blue hair hung down , obscuring his handsome face.

"Tomoyo Daidouji, please show Eriol around today and answer any questions he may have about our school. Eriol, your seat in homeroom will be behind Tomoyo's"

Eriol walked over Tomoyo, as the rest of the class's eyes followed him. 'She seems really different, he thought to himself. With a flourish, he took her hand and bent to give it a kiss.

"Good to see you again, Tomoyo-san," Eriol said.

'He did recognize me. I almost forgot that we started being on first name terms.' She looked up at him. 'His eyes still have that boyish glint,' she thought to herself. But then she turned away, afraid to betray her tired self to Eriol, and she muttered, "Good to see you, too, Hiragazawa-kun."

Eriol mentally frowned. 'She hasn't called me that in a long time…'

But he pushed his feeling of worry aside as Sakura greeted him from the desk next to him as he sat down.

"How are you, Eriol-kun? We've missed you so much!"

Eriol glanced at dark figure sitting right in front of Sakura. The boy there had his head on his desk, and had covered his eyes. But the amber hair was still enough of a clue to Eriol as to who he was.

"So, how have you been, my cute little descendant?"

A groan issued from the figure's direction, and Eriol's smile only widened.

"I've missed you too, Syaoran."

The day passed quickly. Tomoyo was in all the top classes, so Eriol was placed in the same classes as her. Both of them quickly returned to the atmosphere they had before Eriol left for England. Chiharu and Takashi had already greeted Eriol, and Chiharu had already bopped her boyfriend over the head for his first story of the day. Tomoyo was able to keep away the flood of girls who wanted to see Eriol until lunch

One step into the cafeteria, and Eriol was suddenly bombarded. Over the crowd, he searched for Tomoyo, as he gave a forced smile to the girls who were pushing and jostling to get a better view. Finally, a mess of raven hair came into view, and he began navigating his way through.

Tomoyo felt a warm hand close over hers, and was suddenly pulled through the crowd, and burst out into the courtyard. Eriol's boyish visage came into view, and she relaxed her tense body.

"Mou, you surprised me!"

"Just had to get away from the mob," replied Eriol, who was now looking for a place to hide. He found one suitably obscured by a looming tree. Eriol flopped down on the ground, evidently exhausted from the great escapade.

"Have a seat, milady." He flourished and patted on the ground next to her.

Tomoyo felt her face heat up as she watched Eriol start to eat.

'Why'd he bring _me_ here?'


End file.
